No Time Like the Present
by mawr.blaidd.drwg
Summary: Set during the end of Season 4 pre-Turn Left. The Doctor and Donna stop by Chiswick to visit her Grandad and when they arrive he sees none other than Rose Tyler. As his hopes begin to soar he realizes that she's not alone. A little timey wimey. Ten/Rose
1. Chapter 1

Hello ! This is my first *ever* story that I'm uploading on here so please be kind. This idea came to me in a dream (oddly enough) and I figured what the hell, why not write it. Please review so that I know that someone out in the world is actually enjoying this and that I should continue to write it since I see this being several chapters. The rating is more than likely going to change for later chapters but until then T it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Doctor Who at all, unfortunately.

…..

On the outskirts of a deserted playground a loud vworp vworp sounds as wind blows 2 lone swings back and forth. A deep blue police public call box appears nestling itself against a chain linked fence. A woman with long red hair and bangs wearing a tan leather jacket steps out of the doors smiling as she inhales and takes in the view of her home town, a place that looks so small and mundane compared to planets in far off galaxies that she has recently visited. But she is happy to see it nonetheless, to know that she can still come back to it and it hasn't changed at all. It's good to have a single consistent thing when traveling with the Doctor, since you never know what is going to happen on a momentary basis. A tall, lanky man with thick brown hair sticking up follows her stepping out of the TARDIS tugging on his ear as he looks around getting an odd sense of deja vu. Granted that's bound to happen frequently after living for over 900 years.

"Grandad will be so happy that I'm popping by for a visit," Donna gushes excitedly. "He'll be so excited to see me and hear about the places we've gone to."

The Doctor smiles softly at his fiery red headed friend keeping his hands in the pockets of his long brown coat as they walk through the streets of Chiswick. It seems to have rained earlier in the day and it is that dull sort of gray time making each of the homes look more monotonous than the other as they pass them. The streets are empty, most of the people probably lounging indoors given the unpleasant weather. They are at the top of a street now that seems more like a hill looking down at several other cross streets.

Donna continues to babble about one thing or the next and then he smells it. He thinks he might be hallucinating. It smells like honey and strawberries, and with the smell he can feel the intensity that it brings, an overwhelming sense of joy. Joy that he hasn't felt in over two years. He stops walking. He can see pink and yellow swirling in his mind and he thinks he must have gone mad. He starts to look around in a frenzy to find out what could possibly have the exact same scent as _her. _Donna seems to notice that he has stopped walking and is about 10 steps behind her with a confused look on his face.

"You're not listening to anything I'm saying are you?" Donna sighs having turned around. He doesn't respond and instead his eyes have grown wider, if possible, as he stares down the street behind her. "Oi, what's wrong?" She asks waving her hand in front of his face.

"It can't be..." his voice croaks as he feels his hearts slamming out of his chest.

He sees her then. Just the back of her and he knows. He knows that blonde hair anywhere, glowing like a beacon in the stark and dreary streets. The universe that she had been torn away from nearly 2 years now suddenly flickering with hope. That hope that he had scarcely allowed himself to feel begins to drown his senses.

"It's impossible... I've tried, Rassilion I've tried everything... how did she?" he finds himself stuttering. He even pulls his glasses out placing them on his face to be sure it's her.

"Doctor, what hell are you on about now?" Donna cries before she turns her attention to where the Doctor is looking. She squints in the distance and can barely see a blonde woman walking quite a ways down the street with her back to them.

She is confused for a moment before she studies his face closer as he takes off his glasses. For the first time since she has known the Doctor, she sees a light in his eyes that she thought didn't exist within him. A light that she suspects he held with him for a brief time before he met her. Just before he lost _her. _And suddenly the light is burning brighter than any of the stars he has shown her and his large brown eyes are glistening with forming tears.

"It's her," he whispers. He needs to say it out loud for it to be real. "It's Rose."

Donna gasps whirling around to stare again at the blonde woman off in the distance, walking farther away from them completely unaware of who is behind her. "Oh. My. God!" She gasps, grabbing at his arm unable to contain her happiness for her best friend. And he finds a smile that he almost forgot how to make crawling quickly across his face.

"What the hell are you waiting for you daft spaceman!" Donna cries, grinning at him, urging him to go forward. "Go get her!"

His grin grows even further if possible as his legs start to move quickly. Donna watches him running down the street electing to stay back and not spoil their romantic reunion. He'll introduce her after and then she can finally meet Rose Tyler.

As he is running he suddenly stops short coming to a complete halt. Donna stares at the back of him incredulously wondering what is wrong. She walks briskly up to his side still unable to fully see anything in the distance until she is standing next to him and she can feel her heart breaking for him.

Of course. How could he have possibly been so naive to assume that the universe would give her back to him. He almost laughs at the enormity of how unfair this is. Rose is down the street from him, her back still turned to him, but now he sees a mirror image of himself, well himself from the past, approaching her.

"You took long enough!" Rose says before giggling and it pangs the Doctor to hear that distant noise that he has ached to hear echoing throughout the TARDIS.

"Weeell the TARDIS thought it would be funny to hide the room with the system repair update thingy majigy. So while I was looking for that I stumbled upon the kitchen and there was a whole bunch of those banana flavored scones I made the other night in there! So of course I had to grab some and- oh don't give me that look!"

"You didn't bring my jacket, did you?" Rose grumbles raising an eyebrow at him.

"Weeell um, no but I did bring you a banana scone, and I don't share banana scones with just anyone Rose Tyler so that's gotta count for something!" he gives her a cheeky grin and winks as he hands her a scone wrapped in a napkin from his jacket and she suppresses a smile, trying to be annoyed with him but finding it nearly impossible to do so when he acts this adorable. She continues to give him the annoyed stare that unfortunately for him, she inherited from Jackie.

"Okay, okay I'll go back for your jacket, don't you wander off too much Miss jeopardy friendly," he calls shaking his finger at her. She is giggling again as he turns from her, she starts to unwrap and eat the scone he gave her and continue in the direction she was going towards still not turning around to see the other Doctor and Donna standing on the street a ways down from her.

Donna's heart breaks just a little more for her friend after hearing the happy conversation between the past Doctor and Rose. They sounded like a young giddy couple and she can't even begin to imagine how he feels right now. "Can't you go to her anyway? Even if you just say hi, you don't have to tell her anything," Donna asks hopefully.

The Doctor just shakes his head staring at Rose in defeat. "I can't."

Donna doesn't know what to say, what could she possibly say right now to make her friend feel better at a moment like this.

Suddenly the Doctor remembers. He remembers this day very clearly. It was just a couple of days after The Wire had taken Rose's face. Rose had asked him to take her to a place a little less on the dangerous side, claiming that she needed a bit of relaxation. And he knew of just the place, an entire planet that was like a spa (_"It's called Spanelle Rose it's brilliant you'll love it, they have an entire town just for pedicures! Can you imagine how many different colored toe nails everyone has!"_) Rose was so excited about it and as they stepped outside of the TARDIS doors they found they were in Chiswick in the near future. He almost smiles even in this devastating moment when he recalls the look she gave him half of utter irritation and half amusement. _"Doctor, last time I checked, planet Earth specifically Chiswick, England is not a bloody spa."_

He also remembers what happens after this. After he goes back to the TARDIS (for the second time) to get Rose's jacket because it looks like it might rain. He remembers when he walks out of the blue doors that he sees himself standing there waiting for him. How could he possibly forget one of the most important conversations of his life.

"But I can talk to _him!_" the Doctor says his face dawning with realization as he runs his hands through his unruly brown hair making it stick up even further. "You can't come though Donna. Go see your grandad. He-I haven't met you yet, it's all timey wimey!" the Doctor is calling back to her as he starts to jog trying to remember where the other TARDIS is parked so he can intercept the Doctor before he goes back to Rose.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Donna calls back to him.

"Nope, but it's already happened to me so I suppose s'gotta happen again."

Donna gives him a blank stare.

"Timey wimey, like I said! I'll explain later."

..:::..

The Doctor is gripping Rose's jacket trying to ignore the fact that his eyes are closing as he inhales the scent of Rose all over it. He opens the TARDIS door and stops in his tracks at what he sees. There standing in front of him is himself. Exactly himself, same brown pin-stripe suit, same long light brown jacket, hell even the same white trainers, although a bit more worn in, staring at him expectantly. Except this Doctor looks older. His eyes have aged, he has seen a lot, and from what he can tell not much of it has been good at all. In fact he looks down right sad, a sadness that only he could recognize in himself. He would appear to be fine to anyone else but the one person you can't lie to is yourself. He inhales sharply suddenly not looking forward to his future very much at all.

"Fancy seeing you here. I reckon you were expecting this? Either that or you found the wrong TARDIS." He asks finally breaking the silence between the reflection he appears to be speaking into.

"Weeell, this happened to me already. I actually forgot about it until about a minute ago when I saw you talking to... So you can blame the other version of us for talking to me in the first place. Because now I'm going to have to talk to you."

"I know I can't ask how far into the future you are, but you haven't regenerated, yet, so brilliant!"

The Doctor's eyes turn an alarming shade of dark and the look he gives his past self hits him down to the marrow of his bones. The look says nothing short of, 'I wish I had regenerated instead of _this_.' The past Doctor swallows thickly trying to ignore the look and trying not to think too much about it. "Banana?" He asks suddenly breaking the tension as he pulls a banana out of his jacket. The future Doctor smiles, breaking up the morose look in his eyes.

"Rose is always teasing us about keeping bananas handy but it happened to work out because nobody would appreciate this as much as me."

"Quite right," the future Doctor agrees trying desperately to ignore the mention of Rose as he starts to peel the banana and bite into it. The past Doctor seems to notice the flicker of pain in his eyes at the mention of his beautiful blonde companion.

"How long? How long has she been gone?" he finds himself chocking out the question that he really doesn't want to know the answer to. The future Doctor finishes chewing and thinks about how to answer this, and decides not to.

"You need to stop being so daft," he blurts out and can't help but feel a little bit of Donna's influence as he speaks.

"Oi! We really are rude! You came here just to pick on me?"

"You know what I mean. You're brilliant but you're bloody stupid when it comes to her. It's bad enough given everything that happened surrounding a certain French woman," the past Doctor winces at hearing this, knows that he is still paying for that gigantic mistake. A flash of the pained look on Rose's face drops his stomach.

"You did it too!" the past Doctor acknowledges whining like a little kid. "Besides she was still with Mickey, or got back together with him, or at least I thought she was. I don't really know. We both know that we didn't actually think things through until we were stuck on the other side and realized what we got ourselves into."

"Right, but she wasn't with Mickey and he isn't here anymore anyway, so what's your excuse now?"

"Did you come back here to just rag on me about your past mistakes?"

"No. I came here to... move you along, I guess you could say. Well, I guess I could say. I _am_ saying. Blimey, this is very timey wimey indeed."

"I think I now fully understand what everyone means when they say I need to just get to the point. What d'you mean?"

"I mean with Rose. You may be able to think you can fool her or yourself, but you can't fool me because I've been there, and you're making excuses, _wasting time_." The future Doctor is surprised by how stern he sounds until his voice cracks on the wasting time bit. Realizing how true it is. How much more time he could have properly had with her if he hadn't been so daft.

"But-"

"No." The future Doctor puts his hand up and the other Doctor for once in his life shuts his mouth. "Just listen to me. I know our future and I know what it is like to live without her around. You have no idea what it's like. You think you might because you've almost lost her so many times, but you don't. We waited over 900 years for her, don't wait any longer. She's right in front of you, waiting and completely unsure of how to proceed because you give her nothing but mixed signals of holding her hand and watching her sleep and hugging her until you both can't breathe. And then an hour later pulling away because you've let her get too close again. Or like the other night, after The Wire took her face and she asked you to stay with her while she slept and you almost kissed her. But you didn't because you were too much of a coward. Stop. Just stop. She deserves better but somehow she wants to be with you anyway."

The past Doctor is silent digesting everything he is hearing. "I know I'm being harsh, but it's the only way you will listen, and the only way you will do something about it."

"...She wants to be with me?" the past Doctor sputters the words from his mouth like a foreign taste that he is enjoying for the first time.

"Yes. It's pretty obvious if you really think about it. She'll tease you about how obvious it has been actually. And how obvious you've been too. You'll both have a good laugh."

"But won't it make it so much more difficult when she's-when, she's..." the past Doctor can barely fathom the notion of her not being there although he has known from the beginning it would be this way and there is proof standing directly in front of him. "Well you know. That's why I haven't-why I can't..."

"It's going to be difficult any which way you look at it," the future Doctor murmrs softly. "She's already so close, it's going to hurt no matter how much you push her away. At least I can look back on the times I had with her and not regret not doing anything about it."

"But what if-"

"She's been waiting a long time for you to get a clue, she will be happier than you can imagine, don't worry."

The past Doctor is silent now. He's run out of excuses and for once doesn't know what to say. The future Doctor is smiling now remembering how it felt having to digest all of this.

"Her... death. Is it completely our fault?" the past Doctor says quietly closing his eyes not wanting to see the look on his future self's face.

"I never said she was dead. She's alive, and more importantly she's safe."

"But-" his eyes shoot open in hope a smile starting to overwhelm him.

"That's all I'm going to tell you."

The two Doctors give each other a look of mutual understanding.

"You better get her jacket to her before you're in real trouble, or before she gets into some sort of crisis." The past Doctor smiles looking down at the dark blue jacket in his hand that he had forgotten he was holding.

"Too True."

"Good Luck" They tell each other at the same moment. The past Doctor begins to walk away and suddenly turns around. "Do you want to see her? You can pretend you're me for a bit and then make an excuse to get back to the TARDIS for something."

The future Doctor thinks about that for a moment his hearts swelling with appreciation of his past self, remembering how he offered the same thing. It sounds tempting, but he's not sure how well he can compose himself or how he can prevent himself from grabbing her and snogging the life out of her. That would cause a bit of conundrum. Besides when his future self addressed him last time, he had also refused.

"No, no I'd better not. Just do me a favor and enjoy the time with her. Don't constantly worry about how long you have, just spend it with her being happy while you can." The past Doctor nods before they part ways.

The Doctor rounds the corner and finds Donna standing there waiting for him, having heard the entire conversation, she looks as though she is close to tears and he tries to give her his best impersonation of what a smile should be. She gives her best friend the hug he didn't realize how badly he needed until she's there.

A little while later The Doctor and Donna watch from a far distance as he sees himself find Rose. "Jeez, did you go for a trip while you were in the TARDIS?" She asks sheepishly. "Or did you find some more banana scones?" her tongue pokes out between her teeth in a grin as she teases him.

He doesn't answer and instead holds out her jacket for her helping her arms into it. "Your jacket Dame Rose," he finally says in an amused tone.

"Why thank you, Sir Doctor." She laughs heartily grinning ear to ear recalling the memory of being knighted and forgetting that she should be annoyed with him. They reach for each other's hands at the same moment locking their fingers tightly as they walk off.

"Are you alright?" Donna asks touching his arm looking into his eyes.

"I'm always alright. Besides, tonight I am finally going to get to properly kiss Rose Tyler," he turns to Donna grinning and allowing the memory to overtake him. "By the way, we might want to delay seeing your Grandad and head back to the TARDIS, it's going to start pouring any moment now."

…..

Ok that's the first chapter! Please take a moment to review and let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate it! I don't have a beta so please try and be gentle. Chapter 2 – how does that kiss finally come about? Bum bum bum... The next chapter is pretty much finished so I'll post it up next week if I get some reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello Everyone! I can't thank you all enough for the kind and wonderful reviews! It means the world to me and I'm so happy to know that there are a few of you out there are enjoying my story. I hope this chapter meets everybody's expectations. It's a bit longer and goes more in depth in the past between the Doctor and Rose as well as their thoughts about their current situation. There is also a flashback to the night of the Wire. Thanks again and please let me know what you guys think of this chapter! I just started writing the next one so the update for the third chapter won't be as quick but I will do my best to get it finished up soon.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any rights to Doctor Who.

...

The Doctor and Rose had just started to navigate the misty suburban streets of Chiswick in search of whatever reason the TARDIS had sent them there instead of Spanelle (although the Doctor suspected it was in order to see his future self, but didn't tell Rose about the encounter). False light lit up the sky making it appear sunny for a moment before the skies opened up and rain swiftly hit the streets. Rose did need her jacket after all, although it didn't seem to do much to protect her from the onslaught of rain.

"Where would you be if I hadn't went and gotten your jacket for you," the Doctor says grinning at her through the rain rolling down his face as he swings their locked hands between them.

"That's true, an' I appreciate you going back an' getting it for me an' all Doctor, but you grabbed the wrong one... this one is very thin an' doesn't have a hood," she says between laughs as she contemplates pulling the jacket off and using it as a shield for her head. Thunder booms and Rose yelps in surprise grabbing The Doctor closer to her in the process. The rain becomes heavier and harder pelting against the pavement around them.

"Let's go back to the TARDIS or you're going to get drenched," he observes although it seems to be a little too late for that. Her hair is shades darker and matting to her cheeks, her eye make-up still in tact but a little bit smudged. "Or drown," he corrects himself as she glares at him through rain slicked lashes.

He tries his best to cover her from the rain untangling their fingers and using the billowing fabric of his brown jacket wrapping it over her head. Rose starts to laugh realizing that it is in vain because they are both now already soaked and have opted for running in the direction of where he parked the TARDIS. He grabs her hand again grinning as they are running down the streets passing by brick houses and slapping puddles all around them in the process. After about ten minutes of searching, they finally spot the blue wooden police box nesting against a brick wall. Rose is shivering under the cold rain and the Doctor pulls her closer to him his free arm tucking her into his side as he unlocks the doors and they both pour themselves inside.

The Doctor pulls off his coat, placing it on the coat rack trying to shake off excess water in the process. They laugh even harder now taking in each other's appearances. Rose's jacket is soaked through and sticking to her, as well as her black pants. Her sneakers making puddles around her feet on the grating of the TARDIS floor. The Doctor's thick brown hair is flatted and sticking to his face in a bunch of different directions, and rain drops are rolling down his chiseled features, his jacket luckily having protected his clothes a bit better than Rose's did. They both circle the center console shaking water off of themselves in the process as the TARDIS hums in amusement at the two.

"So much for a lovely day at the Spa," Rose giggles and the Doctor chimes in. Their laughter bounces off of the TARDIS walls as they both collapse in a heap on the jump seat clutching their sides from laughing so hard. Rose's lips are trembling and her teeth clatter against one another like vibrating piano keys in between her laughs.

"You should take that jacket off before you freeze to death!" the Doctor instructs her, now sitting up slightly on the faded dingy yellow seat as he takes off his own suit jacket. There is a mark of water around his collar and on his tie which he loosens and slips off of his neck.

She sits up as well unzipping and peeling the jacket from her body like a second skin. The Doctor immediately regrets informing her to take off the jacket, not for her sake but for his own. Her arms are glistening from the water and her shirt, her once somewhat modest light blue v-neck t-shirt is clinging to her frame and is now almost completely transparent to the rest of her. Her bra, which he decides must have the thinnest amount of fabric in the history of bras, does not leave very much to the imagination. For some reason the TARDIS has grown very quiet, alarmingly quiet and the Doctor realizes it is because his voice is not going a mile a minute about this or that in fact, he is not saying a word and instead is watching Rose very, very closely. He has never been this quiet before. He tries to think of something to say, _anything_ but his mind has short circuited. Why did he have to accidentally grab the wrong jacket and put himself in this predicament? He swallows dryly his Adam's apple bobbing as he tries to loosen his collar but realizes that he already did that moments ago.

Rose continues to shiver, apparently not realizing how much of an effect her appearance is having on the Time Lord sitting next to her, as her shaking fingers untie her shoes and peel off her socks. The Doctor decides that taking off his Chucks would be a brilliant idea because it would cause his eyes to have to focus on something other than Rose. As he does this she proceeds to lift her shirt off and ring water out of it laughing innocently as she realizes just how much water it absorbed even through the jacket.

The Doctor wants nothing more than to laugh along with her but his vocal chords can't quite find the tune from his lungs. He tries to be polite and not gawk at her but his eyes can't seem to move in a different direction, as though he is hypnotized, or in shock. Perhaps both. Rose turns to him now noticing how silent he has been, and sees the dark look in his widened brown eyes sweeping over her.

She shivers again, and this time not from being soaked from the cold rain. Her cheeks begin to brighten when she realizes exactly why he is giving her such a look as she takes in her appearance not really even noticing it before. Not only is she shirtless with a practically transparent bra, but her pants might as well be leggings soaked through and showing the outline of where her knickers begin and end. She has never been so close to being naked around the Doctor.

The initial embarrassment she feels starts to gently unfold into an overwhelming amount of hope and confidence. She has never seen the Doctor so blatantly checking her out before. Sure she has seen his quick sideways glances which he covers up immediately rambling on about some random facts, and she has felt his lingering touches during their yes-we-saved-the world-_again_-hugs. But her appearance has never rendered him speechless or in a state like this ever before.

A smile begins to tug on the corners of her lips as she dares to look back directly into his heated eyes. He notices and if he could blush, now would be it. The words start to float around in his head that he heard less than an hour ago from himself._"It's pretty obvious if you really think about it. She'll tease __you about how obvious it has been actually. And how obvious you've been too. You'll both have a good laugh."_ Except right now, she's not laughing at him or even teasing him. Her eyes are sparkling and she is both wildly curious and blissfully happy all at once.

"Towels. I should get towels. You're freezing. Big, white, fluffy towels. Yep!" he finally stutters out popping the p in yep, as he stands up suddenly from the seat.

He blinks and looks away from her, the hold she has on him somehow temporarily lifted. The sparkle in her eyes immediately starts to fade and her smile falters a bit. She takes a bitter deep breath as he walks away rather quickly out of the console room. She got too close again, that might be the closest it's ever been. Well not counting the other night when they almost kissed, but that was a bit different he wasn't giving her a look like _this, _which was far more physical in nature. He was giving her an alarmingly more vulnerable look that had more to do with the very confusing aspect of his _feelings_.

Although her spirits were now dampened, she couldn't help but still feel hope swelling proudly inside of her. Almost two years of traveling together and nothing had yet happened. Well if you don't count the time they never talked about when Cassandra possessed her and practically jumped the Doctor (not that Rose, nor the Doctor were really complainging). Or the time that she was still unaware of in his past regeneration when he kissed the Time Vortex from her. Either way, nothing had _really_ happened. Initially she thought him indifferent to her, especially given his cold demeanor at first. Or maybe just indifferent in general about that sort of thing, after all he was alien. For all she knew they weren't even compatible.

She played it off as it never becoming a thing and pushed her emotions to the side because he really needed her there. And then in the bunker in Utah, the Dalek said it after it couldn't kill her "_What use are your emotions if you will not save the woman you love._" But he never acted upon it and she assumed he loved her in a bonded friendship sort of way because he certainly never gave her any other inclination of another sort of love. And then Captain Jack came along literally sweeping her off her feet and was it jealously? She wasn't sure, but those blue eyes would blaze into her and she could feel it rolling down her spine, not really certain what it was but she knew he held some major feeling towards her that she couldn't describe.

And just when it seemed that maybe something might happen, after he pulled her into a tight hug in the TARDIS after rescuing her from the Dalek ship, murmuring into her _"I told you I'd come and get you."_ He tricked her and sent her home to keep her safe. And she understood why but she _really_ meant it when she said she was going to stay with him. So she went back for him, for her Doctor. He never told her what happened when she came back and instead she was left standing in the TARDIS gaping as he transformed into this tall, skinny, gorgeous (she could now say without feeling bad knowing now it was still _her _Doctor), man wearing his clothes and saying hello to her his brown eyes shinning.

She worried when he changed that she had lost him, the part that cared for her, for all she knew he could be an entirely different man. And he was different. Tall and slim with thick gravity defying hair, light freckles dusting across his face. Rude and not Ginger. Twinkling brown eyes instead of the piercing blue. When he walked into her mum's flat for Christmas dinner and grinned at her she knew it was going to be ok, because the smile that he held for her and only her rang clear on his face and he didn't even attempt to hide it anymore. What she didn't expect was for him to care for her even more in this new body that unbeknownst to her was made for_ her_.

She fell harder for him with each passing day. He made it easy. He was much more light hearted, and affectionate she noticed, always touching her or grabbing her hand and hugging her and she hoped more than she ever scarcely allowed herself to that this could actually really be something. They were inseparable traveling together saving the universe, laughing and getting so much closer to one another. It was only a matter of time before something happened between them, something _had_ to happen. She felt his feelings now more than ever before and she felt so hopeful. Then they ran into Sarah Jane. Any progress she might have made in getting close to him took 10 steps back. Sarah Jane was a reminder to him that Rose was human and would leave him whether on her own or by death and he couldn't let himself get too close and give himself too much pain when that happened. She was so hurt by him to think that one day he would just leave her but then he explained he wouldn't do that to her. "_I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you..."_

She understood what he meant and she couldn't fault him for it no matter how much it hurt. So she backed off and Mickey came on board which made things even more awkward and tense. She felt weird acting as she always did around the Doctor with Mickey there, because she didn't want to hurt him anymore than she already had. And then the Doctor almost pushed her away entirely. It hurt, it hurt more than anything before, but she endured it. And then Reinette. Rose feels her body stiffen even now thinking about that. But when he returned the look in his eyes told her everything she needed to hear and he started to treat her the way he always had again. Desperately trying to win back her trust. As if being temporarily stuck in France was the kick in the arse he really needed. And then Mickey stayed behind and while it hurt to see one of her best friends go it also meant she was alone with the Doctor again. Things seamlessly went back to how they were and they were closer than ever. And then The Wire took her face and it seemed that's when things really began to change.

...

_She had played it off like it wasn't a big deal, shrugging it off her shoulders and smiling at him when he gave her a couple of concerned glances throughout the night. She had put on a brave face and told him it was nothing a good shower and a cuppa couldn't fix so when they returned to the TARDIS she hopped in the shower and he fixed tea. He had her cup waiting for her in the library where he sat having begun to read a book on the couch that they found themselves cuddling and talking on when they weren't busy getting into trouble across the universe and instead took a moment to breathe. He would never admit how much he enjoyed quiet nights with her and that it was the most domestic thing he'd ever allow himself to do, but he did._

_She walked into the library her hair damp from the shower, standing shyly in her short pink pajama shorts and tight white tank top that caused the Doctor's hearts pace to quicken. He liked her most like this. No make-up on, nibbling on her thick bottom lip and leaning on the sides of her feet staring right into him with those big milky brown eyes._

_He beamed up at her looking up from his book behind his thick rimmed glasses that she adored to see him in. She finally made her way onto the couch nestling down closely to him. He found his arm immediately wrapping around her, tucking her in close to him before his mind could even process or filter the action. He first handed her a cuppa, then followed with the book she was currently reading. She grinned up at him and they drank their tea and turned the pages of their books in comfortable silence. The Doctor had been brilliant at multi-tasking his whole life, Time Lord brain and all able to process about 100 different things at once. But he was an absolute professional at being able to read and thoroughly examine exactly what Rose was doing at the exact same time. The speed of her heart, the sound her lips would make wrapping against the ceramic rim of the mug of tea as she sipped it down. He could almost feel the hot liquid sliding down her throat. Her scent was the most intoxicating part of all and he loved that when they parted ways at night and she went to bed and he either continued to read or fix various parts of the TARDIS that he could smell her on him. _

_Tonight while he was turning pages he noticed Rose's heart rate decrease gently and her body go slightly limp against him. She had fallen asleep like she had done several times when they were wrapped up in each other and in their books. Her cuppa sitting in her lap and her book slipping out of her arm as her breathing became even. He smiled down at her, still enraptured by how beautiful she was before he took the book and the cuppa from her placing them on the coffee table in front of the couch. He watched her for a couple of moments, memorizing her face that earlier that day had been gone. His stomach turned cold and he swallowed hard at the painful memory. Too many times had he almost lost her. Far, far too many. But never before had it been in such a traumatic fashion as to no longer see her face. Her gorgeous face, those eyes that bore her soul and the gigantic smile she always flashed at him. It horrified him in ways that he was sure would give him nightmares for a long time to come. But she was safe for now, sleeping soundly against his side. _

_Ever so quietly he shifted her into both of his arms standing up from the couch as he carried her sleeping form out of the library. In her sleep she seemed to wrap her arms around his neck and nuzzle into his light blue button down. He tried to ignore her action, and tried to suppress the overwhelming desire he had to be doing this with her, while she was still awake their mouths pressed against one another as he carried her to his room. He shook his head to rid himself of this particular thought as he approached the doors to her room. _

_He walked into her room his eyes adjusting to the darkness of it before the TARDIS kindly turned on a very low night light giving a warm glow to the room. He found her bed filled with an assortment of pillows and soft plush blankets, that funny enough had the combination of pink and yellow. Ever so gently he started to place her onto the mattress. As he tried to uncurl her arms from his neck she awoke suddenly. _

"_Hello," she said with a smile, blinking up sleepily at him._

"_Hello," he replied returning the smile. "You fell asleep in the library so I figured I'd bring you to bed where you'd be more comfortable."_

"_Thanks."_

"_Yep," he stated popping the p in yep as he started to pull away from her and from the bed._

"_Doctor?"she interrupted his movements. _

"_Yes, Rose?"_

"_Do you um... I mean. Do you think you could maybe stay with me? For tonight. If that's ok. I'm a bit more freaked out about today than I originally thought. Just until I fall asleep again. If not 'sokay. Just thought I'd ask." She bit her lip after sputtering all of this out in one breath so quickly that if he wasn't a Time Lord he wouldn't have been able to understand. _

_He couldn't say no to her, especially in this moment where her eyes were wide and she worried her bottom lip between her teeth and it reminded him of the nineteen year old girl he met in the basement of a shop, when he had a different face. She had grown up so much in such a short amount of time that he continuously forgot and became reacquainted with the fact that she was still so young. _

"_Of course," he replied far too quickly. And happily, he noticed. Far happier than he would have wanted to let on. Not a big deal though. He was just going to sleep next to his best friend who needed his company after a particularly rough day for both of them. Unfortunately for him, his best friend happened to be gorgeous and she also just so happened to mean more to him than anything in the entire universe. It was also unfortunate that his self-control that he had prided himself on for over 900 years was swiftly crumbling all around him. _

_He sat up, toeing off his chucks and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt before he stretched out next to her on the bed. She pulled a blanket at the foot of the bed up over the two of them before she cuddled into his side. His hearts quickened at the contact of their bodies lying against one another. And quickened a bit more when her arm draped over his chest and his arm immediately curled around her. _

"_G'night Doctor."_

"_G'night Rose."_

_She fell asleep almost immediately and he laid in her bed holding her trying to process everything that was currently going on. How did he let this happen? How did she manage to get this close to him and weave herself tightly around his hearts all the while wrapping him around her little finger. Where did he go wrong in all of this? As he contemplated this his eyes also began to flutter shut realizing it had been a while since he had any sort of sleep, although he didn't need nearly as much as humans. But holding her like this, her steady breathing against him felt so comfortable that he also started to drift. _

_He wasn't sure how much time had passed but suddenly she was sitting up in the bed, her eyes shooting open and grabbing onto him as she gasped out. She was trembling and gasping for air as her knuckles began to turn white from grabbing at his shirt. _

"_It's okay Rose. It was just a dream. You're safe," he found himself murmuring to her. _

_She turned back to him processing what was going on. She blinked a couple of times stray tears crashing from her eyes and traveling quickly down her face before she seemed to realize it was only a dream. She let go of the Doctor's shirt and brought her shaking fingers to her face feeling her features to make sure that they were still there. The Doctor's arms that were still wrapped around her found his hands grabbing her own that were touching her face._

"_You're safe," he repeated his voice faltering._

_She seemed to drop her hands now staring up into his eyes as he traced her face with the pads of his thumbs. He drew around her jaw line, sliding up to her cheekbones and over her nose. He circled under her eyes and his thumbs dipped down and brushed against her lips. All of this wasn't here today. He was touching her features not only to prove to her that she was still there, but also to himself. His expression now seemed more troubled than hers did moments ago startled from her nightmare. His brow furrowed and he let out a shaky breath. _

"_You're safe," he said again, reassuring himself this time instead of her. _

"_I am, 'cause of you. You saved me, as always," she assured him, her voice hoarse from sleep, as she found her hand cupping his cheek. _

"_I almost lost you. Again," he whispered in response his voice cracking on again. He closed his eyes at her touch and leaned against the palm of her hand. _

"_S'okay Doctor, I'm here."_

_He opened his eyes staring deeply into hers. Her intake of air stopped when she realized just how vulnerable his eyes were to her. They seemed desperate and frenzied and on the edge of something he had never allowed before. Something that she would constantly see a quick flash of before he tried to hide from her. His will to hide his emotions seemed to fall apart and his eyes gave away more than Rose could have ever hoped for. _

_Their faces were suddenly very close to one another, his hands still touching her face, one of her hands cupping his cheek and the other wrapped around him as they lay on her bed. Rose's breath hitched again when his lips were so close to hers that she could feel his breath tingling against her mouth. Her eyes began to close and her heart raced when she realized that this was actually going to happen he was actually going to kiss her. And then he pulled away. Not by a lot, but enough for her to understand that she was wrong and that he wasn't going to kiss her. He blinked several times and the vulnerability transformed into his normal distance as he pulled away. _

"_Do you want some scones? Maybe banana scones, that sounds rather delicious right about now. Don't you think, Rose? I'm gonna go whip us up some banana scones!" he babbled on. Brick by brick he began to reconstruct the wall he put between them as he sat up from the bed. _

…

And now this.

The Doctor walks back into the console room looking rather adorable, bare foot in his half unbuttoned button down with the sleeves rolled up, carrying a bunch of folded white fluffy towels. He tries his best to avoid looking at her sitting on the jump seat of the TARDIS half dressed and in deep thought. He finally does look at her and he finds it still very difficult to breathe. He always knew she was gorgeous, the day he grabbed her hand and told her to run he saw how beautiful she was. And each passing day she became more beautiful in his eyes. Her compassion, her courage, her devotion to him all added to the general splendor which was Rose Tyler.

Lately he will admit that the predicament which was her inherent physical beauty had taken a toll on his dwindling self control. In most of his past regenerations he easily kept his physical sensibilities in check. And even his previous regeneration he was able to contain his feelings and attraction to her a bit better, although it was difficult he managed to do it. And in this body he found himself actually having to hold back from her, and he managed to do so for a bit of time. But now it seemed within the last few days, specifically the past few minutes he had almost no control over his brain or his actions.

And now after having met himself in the future he knew that very soon something was going to happen between them and now he didn't know how to act. Whatever filter he had carefully built to keep her at a safe distance had dissolved because the only person he would ever listen to on this particular topic of Rose, would be himself. He felt very much like a kid given permission to take forbidden cookies from the cookie jar, and now that he knew he could, that he **would** in fact, he had not idea what to do. Should he just take the cookie and run? Or should he slowly open the jar peering at the cookie and figuring out what to do with it.

Rose looks directly at him realizing that he has been standing there gaping at her for a moment. He shakes his head and clears his throat.

"Here we are, some nice warm towels," he murmurs sitting down next to her as he starts to dry his hair with one of them. "Y'know there's a planet where the ground is made of a material very much like towels. Although it's pink. And their water has a soapy residue that smells like blueberries. We should go there one day, you'd love it!"

Rose can't help but giggle at him between her still chattering teeth. He opens up one of the towels and wraps it around Rose's shoulders rubbing his hands against the fabric, trying to warm her up. She leans into his side as he does so and his motions start to slow down and she can feel her heart beat choked up in her throat. They are incredibly close now and she finds herself taking the towel around his neck and dabbing at bits of loose water rolling down his cheeks from his side burns and hair. His dark and clouded eyes are melting beneath the stare of her wide caramel eyes as they openly stare at one another without speaking. He grabs a smaller towel and starts to touch the sides of her face brushing away strands of wet hair clinging to her.

She inhales sharply at the contact, her eyes almost starting to shut before she realizes that she needs to see this happening to know that it is real. She drops the towel she is using to dry his face and replaces it with her fingers. She traces her fingers along his jaw capturing rogue rain drops still falling. She can feel him shudder beneath her touch and for once he isn't pulling away, if anything he is leaning into her even more. He also drops the towel drying bits of her hair and elects to cupping her jaw and cheek with his hand. His thumb strokes the side of her face and slips against her pouted lower lip. Neither realize how close their faces are to one another until they are almost touching.

"Rose," he whispers as more of a declaration than a question.

"Doctor," she answers in a quiet breath.

He leans in slowly, so slowly that she isn't sure if he is actually going to do it. So she sits there frozen, feeling like how the TARDIS must feel floating in the Vortex waiting for time to unfold. His face is almost flush against hers but their lips are still not touching. This feels like the night after The Wire all over again and she is scared to breathe because he might turn away. But this time is different. This time he isn't pulling away, this time he is giving in.

His lips ever so slightly, ever so tenderly brush against hers. Her heart stops beating and in this moment she is suddenly very aware that she has never felt so happy in her entire life. He pulls back so that their lips are only barely touching, evaluating to see her reaction and he feels her smile against him before her lips press hard against his. His hand cupping her jaw slides to the back of her neck pulling her even harder against him while her fingers wrap themselves around his damp great, great hair. They both sigh in relief at the same time against each others lips. His tongue slides against her bottom lip and when she whimpers he feels it in his bones. She opens her mouth while his tongue caresses hers. Rose wraps her arms around his neck pulling their bodies flush against one another. He tries in vain to suppress a groan at feeling her so close to him. His hands tangle into her wet blonde hair as their lips and tongues desperately seek one another. One of his hands slips from the back of her neck down her wet and nearly bare back clutching her tightly to him practically pulling her on top of him.

Eventually they pull apart, only slightly, so that they can breathe for a moment, their foreheads still touching. Rose bites her lip trying to conceal the grin dazzling across her features.

"Hello," she says beaming at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Hello," he whispers hoarsely in reply, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile.

"Took you long enough," she says poking her tongue out between her teeth.

"Weeeeell..."

"I guess we should get caught in rainstorms more often yeah? Some water got lodged into that brilliant head of yours an' knocked some sense into you." Her hands are on his chest tracing the shape of the buttons on his shirt while she smiles at him teasingly.

"Oi! I've always had sense thank you very much! I've been wanting to do that since the moment I grabbed your hand and told you to run."

As soon as the words leave his mouth he almost covers it in an attempt to bring the words back, not knowing whether or not he regrets confessing that fact to her. But the moment her eyes light up and her breath hitches in her throat he realizes that he should have done this a long, long time ago. Rose tries to suppress the tears stinging the corners of her eyes at the realization that he has always felt this way, has always wanted to do this and she thinks that this must be a dream, that it has to be a dream. Because only in her dreams does he kiss her and tell her that.

"Me too," she finally breathes out before their lips find one another again and it dawns on her that this is better than her dreams.

...

Please review and let me know what you think! I'd appreciate it so much :D Chapter 3- what happens after The Satan Pit. I haven't decided if I'm going to change the rating or not so we'll see!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello lovely readers! Thank you so **so** much for your kind reviews, I really can't thank you enough! I'm sorry this has taken so long to post but hopefully it is worth the wait! I changed the rating to M for a reason, the second half of this chapter is definitely for adults only. I apologize if you're not into that sort of thing and if you would like send me a private message and I can e-mail you the chapter without any of the M rated stuff. Anyhow, hope you guys enjoy and please review and let me know what you think! I would appreciate it so very much!

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, sadly.

...

Rose gazes out the window of the rocket waiting anxiously for them to be a safe distance from the black hole. The Captain and Danny had gaped in disbelief especially after hearing that the Doctor even had time to save Ida Scott on his way to them, and Rose muttered happily "_Told you so._" So while the Doctor drawled on all she could focus on was the sound of his voice filling the ship and pouring all around her like thick syrup over pancakes, that she hadn't even really paid attention to what he was saying. Something about how they weren't too far from a planet that was oddly enough pink and yellow. _"Isn't that funny Rose! The specific compounds of the rock on the planet has a hologram-y effect making it appear all pink and yellow, just like you! We should go there after this!"_

Danny and the Captain are discussing plans and a route on on how to get home after they are reunited with Ida, but Rose can't focus on their words. Her mind is still reeling from a whirlwind of a day. First, losing the TARDIS and being stranded on a planet that could at any moment get sucked into a black hole. Getting messages from the alleged **devil**, losing the Doctor, and then fighting off a bunch of possessed Ood, as well as Tobey. The sad part was that all of this wasn't that much out of the ordinary, "_all in a days work"_ as the Doctor would say. It was always dangerous traveling with him, that part she didn't mind all that much, had actually gotten used to it. In fact, if they ever went somewhere and didn't get into some sort of trouble she would be suspicious that something even worse was going on.

The problem with this particular time was that she thought that she had really lost him. At first she hadn't believed he was truly gone. Somewhere deep down embedded in her synapses something was screaming he was still alive. She could almost feel both of his hearts beating against her palm. But the crew refused to listen to her and drugged her and carried her onto the rocket, abandoning him. It was then she believed she had lost him, because if he was stuck in that pit without his TARDIS on a planet about to be sucked into a black hole, how would she be able to go and save him? Last time when he still wore leather and he sent her home, she at least had the TARDIS to help her. But not this time.

She had woken up in a rocket speeding away from the planet and there was nothing she could do about it. Her hope was dwindling and as she shot the gun through the window of the rocket thrusting Tobey out into space she accepted her fate. And when she thought for sure the rocket was being pulled into the black hole, she screwed her eyes shut, gripped her hands on the chair waiting for death she focused on his face. That great, great hair, the ridiculous boyish grin of his and those eyes that made her muscles clench and her breathing difficult. But death never came, because he did it again. Somehow, someway, he got out and saved the rocket and Ida in the process.

She laughs aloud to herself earning confused looks from the Captain and Danny. Her mind strays even further thinking about the mind blowing snog session that they had only the night before they arrived on the Impossible Planet. A shiver runs through her, dropping at her gut as she remembers what it felt like wet from the rain tangled in his arms, pressed against him while their mouths and tongues explored one another properly for the first time. He stopped eventually, both of them panting and trembling for a long while afterwards, still sitting on the jump seat. "_You should take a shower and change before you catch a cold," _he had said to her tracing a long pale finger down her cheek, under her chin and giving her a steady look that could probably cause stars to burst. She had reluctantly agreed and after her shower found him in the library where she eventually fell asleep, wrapped up in his arms with a book she didn't bother to read sitting in her lap.

They hadn't exactly talked about it afterwards, what the kiss meant and all of that. She didn't think they would. She figured she would probably have to take it slow, knowing that for him even allowing himself to kiss her was a huge step. She had waited long enough for that step, so she would wait as long as she had to. He was worth the wait. Even if nothing happened other than a few mind blowing kisses, it would be enough. Although she couldn't help aching for more. And then when they thought they had lost the TARDIS they actually started discussing _**domestics**_. The only topic which actually terrified the Doctor and yet, he didn't seem so scared when she mentioned maybe sharing a mortgage, staying together. If anything his eyes widened in something like curiosity and fascination. _Stuck with you, that's not so bad._ She had to push that thought out now that they had thankfully found the TARDIS. She still couldn't believe it. She had gone from being on cloud nine after finally kissing the Doctor, to something far darker than devastation at hearing he was gone, to sense numbing hope at hearing his voice.

The Doctor alerts them that they are officially safe from the black hole and that the TARDIS is in the hold of the rocket. After the Captain sets all of the controls for standby Rose is already unbuckled out of her seat bouncing on her toes, pleading with him to open the hatch leading to the cargo holding of the ship. Once the door is open, Rose is running down the corridor leading to the cargo room. She calls over her shoulder to the Captain and Danny that she'll see them soon before she barrels out towards its location. They'll catch up eventually and sort everything out but right now all she can think of is seeing the Doctor.

She has to see him. She has to see his face to know he is actually there, hearing his voice over the ship's systems wasn't enough, although it was the most wonderful sound she has ever heard. She wants to run her fingers through his thick hair trace her lips against his. Count the freckles on his cheek like the stars hanging in the infinite space. She runs down the metal stairs of the rocket before she spots the blue box. She grins from ear to ear happy to see the TARDIS that she thought had been lost. She touches it for a brief moment thanking it silently for finding her Doctor and saving their lives, again. She is hauling her key out of her pocket and sliding it with such fervor into the lock, turning it with practiced ease.

She opens the blue wooden door practically throwing it off of its hinges, her brown eyes large and her pouty mouth hanging open staring at him as though she is looking at him for the first time in years. The second she looks inside and sees him standing there in his orange spacesuit the smile she didn't realize that she was reserving for him and only him springs forward. He seems to have been in the middle of pushing buttons and turning knobs at the console but immediately stops to look up and see her walk in. The smiles that they give one another are like none they have ever seen before. Complete relief and incandescent happiness. She is running towards him and he is taking long purposeful strides around the console before she leaps into his arms and he pulls her close to him.

He pulls her with such force that he lifts her off of the floor of the TARDIS swinging her legs back and forth. Rose squeals in delight as they both sigh and grin, laughing against one another. He holds her so tightly to him that the space suit is pressing uncomfortably into her but she doesn't care. She is so unbelievably ecstatic to be in his arms again, canceling out the morbid thoughts she had earlier of never being able to see him again.

The Doctor breathes Rose in shutting his eyes, still swinging her around in his arms. He almost lost her, _again_. He almost lost himself, in fact. But he didn't. _Not this time, not yet._ By some miracle he still has more time with her and he is going to take advantage of this time now.

The hesitation he had last night about pushing things further with her so quickly, slips through his fingers like sand. The events of today being solid proof, yet again just how easily they can be separated. The horror of knowing they _will _be separated placed in a dark corner of his mind. His future self's words echoing in his head _"__Just do me a favor and enjoy the time with her. Don't constantly worry about how long you have, just spend it with her being happy while you can." _

The Doctor pulls back enough from Rose to place her down so she can stand and they can face one another properly, their arms still around each other. Her blonde hair glows around her face, flickering like a candle giving off heat in a cold room. "You know Doctor, I'm always up for a good adventure or a spot of trouble, but we really should stop with this whole almost-losin'-each-other-every-other-day-thing," Rose teases beaming up at him, brown eyes meeting brown eyes. "It's a bit much."

He doesn't respond and instead leans down cupping her face with his hands and presses his lips to hers urgently, desperately. Rose moans against his mouth happily drinking him in as she wraps her arms tightly around his neck pulling their bodies against one another. His long fingers tangle in her blonde strands as their mouths open to their tongues colliding. His other hand is roaming, sliding, pressing her to him in a desperate attempt to create as much contact as possible through the thick orange suit. The kiss has a desperate undercurrent that hasn't been present before making it all the more intense.

They break apart for a moment so that they can each breathe. "I couldn't agree more, Rose Tyler," the Doctor finally responds breathlessly to her previous statement rolling the syllables of her name off his tongue in the way that makes her knees buckle. Her face is flushed and her lips look thoroughly kissed, but not kissed enough he notes before he pulls her back in again. She is whimpering against his mouth desperately tugging at the space suit that is blocking her from being as close as possible to the Doctor.

There is a distinct throat clearing that causes their lips to break apart as they both turn to the noise coming form Ida Scott standing at the entrance of the console room. Rose feels a prominent blush staining her cheeks as they pull away, the Doctor tugging on his ear and looking up at something interesting in the ceiling of the TARDIS. The Doctor had been so absorbed in seeing Rose that he had forgotten entirely about bringing Ida's unconscious form to the medical wing after he had landed the TARDIS.

"Um, sorry to er... interrupt, but last I remember I was at the entrance to the pit accepting my oncoming death and now I wake up in a medical wing on a ship I've never been on before so... I'm a bit confused," Ida says awkwardly with a dazed expression.

"Right yes, sorry!" the Doctor replies quickly happy about the change of topic. "I found my ship at the bottom of the pit, it must have fallen there after the quake on the planet, sooo I was able to come get you, but by then you had passed out from the lack of oxygen. We made it off the planet just before the black hole began to reel it in. Then while in route I intercepted the rocket and pulled it out of the gravitational pull of the black hole and now my ship is parked on the rocket floating safely in standby," the Doctor explains in a quick breath, a boyish grin spreading across his face.

Ida gapes at him and then a huge smile crosses her features as she looks at the Doctor and then Rose gratefully. "You are either the luckiest or most brilliant man I've ever met and I don't know how to thank you!"

"Both actually, and no need, glad I could help!" the Doctor smiles again.

Ida's dazed expression turns once more before her eyes roll into the back of her head and she collapses as Rose and The Doctor dart towards her bracing her fall against the grating of the TARDIS. "She's still weak from oxygen starvation," he observes checking her pulse and giving her a once over. "We should get her back to her friends."

After the Doctor rids himself of the uncomfortable orange space suit he and Rose half carry half drag a semi-conscious Ida out of the TARDIS while she mumbles about how she is hallucinating because it is not possible for a ship that size to be a blue box. They finally catch up with Danny who is at the entrance of the stairs leading to the cargo area. He seems confused, having not seen a ship in sight, only a blue box and doesn't quite understand how they got to where they are. He puts it out of his mind as he helps them carry Ida up the stairs towards the cockpit of the rocket.

"I don't know how you did it Doctor but I can't thank you enough!" the Captain says to the Doctor in a tight grateful hug.

"Don't mention it! Besides you kept Rose here safe so we'll call it even!" the Doctor says as they pull apart looking over at Rose who is handing Ida a cup of water.

"Yeah that part was a bit difficult. She's gotta be one of the most stubborn women I've ever met in my life! She wouldn't leave! We had to literally drug her and carry her to the rocket because she refused to leave you, even when we thought for sure you were dead," Danny muses shaking his head.

The Doctor's hearts nearly stop beating at this admission. The loyalty she has always shown him, the utmost faith shining truer than ever before. He almost can't breathe because of how much this means to him. Leave it to Rose Tyler to make him feel such utterly human sort of emotions. He couldn't have been more right in what he said before at the bottom of the pit, "_I believe in one thing, just one thing. I believe in __**her**__."_

"Well of course I didn't want to leave you there an' end up having to pay a mortgage on my own," she says playfully her tongue poking between her teeth. "But you found the TARDIS so no mortgage for either of us!" Behind her playful smile though he sees such a sincerity in her eyes that it nearly unravels him.

"And no carpets or drapes either," he replies his voice cracking slightly trying to shake off the swell of emotions assaulting him as he teases her back. The two start giggling causing the Captain, Danny and Ida stare at the pair as if they're completely mad.

..::..

"But Doctor what did you find down there? That creature, what was it?" Ida asks curiously over the shared connection of the intercom between the TARDIS and the Rocket.

"I dunno, never did decipher that writing. But that's good! I know everything, might as well stop."

"What do you think it was? Really?" Rose asks.

"I think... we beat it. That's good enough for me," the Doctor replies not wanting to get into detail about what he encountered at the bottom of the pit.

"It said I was going to die in battle," Rose says quietly, eyes wide in fear.

_"I never said she was dead. She's alive, and more importantly she's safe."_ The past Doctor's words etched into his mind, the only relief he has in knowing she won't be with him, is knowing she is alive and safe. He glances briefly at her timeline, something that he tries to avoid doing with Rose given how many times her life is in danger. The long golden strands stretch and weave onward and onward until he can't see anymore. "Then it lied," the Doctor replies firmly as he looks directly into her eyes trying to comfort her. She smiles up at him with relief.

"Right! Onwards, outwards. Ida, see you again maybe!"

"I hope so!" Ida states happily.

"And thanks boys!" Rose calls to the Captain and Danny.

"Hang on though, Doctor. You never really said. You two, who are you?" Ida asks.

"Oh..." the Doctor looks at Rose grinning, "the stuff of legend!"

She mirrors his grin as he ends the connection with the rocket pulling down a lever on the console of the TARDIS.

"So Doctor, how did you manage to make it out of this one?" Rose finally asks turning to him, leaning her back against the center console.

"Weeeell I fell down a rather large pit, had a bit of a chat with a giant beast-thing, broke some very old vases with a rock and then literally fell against the TARDIS," he answers with a wink.

Rose's giggle is infectious and they are both laughing. The Doctor absorbs the noise that her laughter makes, knowing that on days when she isn't with him anymore that he will remember how it sounds and play it over and over again in his head like a favorite song on repeat. Rose notices that his face has suddenly become very serious and she reaches up a hand to cup his cheek.

"Are you alright?" She asks her eyes searching his trying to understand what's wrong.

"I'm always alright," he responds leaning into her touch. "Besides, by some miracle the universe has given me you."

"Yup, an' you can't get rid of me. Not even the devil or a black hole can keep us apart," she replies her smile reaching up and touching her eyes.

"Good," he says before he swallows dryly, trying to silence the pesky voice in the back of his head whispering _not much longer though, then something will keep you apart_.

He wraps an arm around her waist pulling her body flush against his causing her to gasp. His free hand holds her face. He searches her eyes for any sign of hesitation and instead is greeted with caramel eyes brimming with clarity, hope and deep desire that resonates throughout him.

It vaguely occurs to him that he has never wanted to be physical with someone as much as he has ever since Rose strolled into the TARDIS when he still wore leather. Sure he has _danced_ before, after all he is over 900 years old-he even had children before. However being a time lord, physical intimacy is not a necessity, or even a priority. But ever since he regenerated into this tenth body his mind is constantly wandering into the physical direction, specifically Rose's physical direction. It seems that time has actually suspended and the only thing his large expansive mind is capable of processing in this moment is the blonde woman pressed into him. Her accelerated heart rate shuddering from her chest against his, her teeth sinking into her soft bottom lip, her hand curling around the nape of his neck and brushing against his hair, her other hand weaving around his tie and pulling it out of his suit jacket walking her fingers up to the knot at the top and loosening it.

She licks her bottom lip and with both hands unties the tie letting it fall to the floor. His hearts are beating wildly out of sync as he hangs on her every movement. She guides his hand still holding her face and brings it to the zipper of her magenta jacket, her eyes still fixed on his. He drags the zipper down until it unhooks at the bottom noticing now that she is not wearing a shirt underneath, just a simple pink lace bra enhancing her pale cleavage. She slides his suit jacket off of his shoulders tossing it onto the yellow jump seat behind him. His cool hands pause and then find the warmth of her skin underneath the jacket running up and down her sides. He brings his hands up and slides the jacket off of her shoulders as she frees her arms letting it fall off of her and onto the floor. His eyes absorb every detail of flesh splayed out in front of him before he hovers back at her mouth. In a swift shared beat between both of his hearts stuttering in tune, his lips fiercely descend upon hers. She moans and a deep growl is hitched in the back of his throat as she wraps her arms around his neck and he pulls her even closer against him.

His hands grasp her almost bare back tracing the lines of flesh with his fingers before he slides his hand up to the back of her neck deepening the kiss even further. She brings his bottom lip between her teeth nibbling and sucking gently on it causing a cold voltage to strike through his entire body. Her hands are on the buttons of his shirt trying to quickly unbutton them, but fumbling her fingers that are shaking. Finally she unbuttons all of the buttons, their lips still locked tightly as she drags the fabric of his shirt off of his shoulders. He lets go of her to allow the shirt to drop off of his arms and their lips break away for a second allowing the Doctor's mind to level for a brief moment.

"Rose," the Doctor interrupts her descending lips, his voice hoarse.

"Doctor," Rose replies breathlessly as her warm fingers trace over his now bare chest and arms.

She tries to swallow down the fear that he is going to stop anything else from happening, again. She tries to look away from him but his hand cups her chin bringing her head up to meet his. He is startled to see how sad she looks and realizes that she is mistaking his interruption for rejection.

"I... um... well, I don't really do this. I mean I have-well not in this body. Well, not in my last body either, but obviously before in past regenerations, a long time ago." He pauses to gauge her reaction, her expression beckons him to continue. "Anyway, I've never done _this_. Not with a companion before. I always keep a safe distance. Especially with you. Or at least I tried to, at first. Although trying to control myself around you has proven quite difficult, well, impossible apparently, especially in this body," he tries to look way from her mouth, from her chest and focus on what he is saying.

"But I can't control myself anymore, and honestly I don't want to. It's different with you, always has been ever since you walked into the TARDIS with your pink and yellow and big brown eyes and I dunno _bewitched_ me. I've never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with you. It's all very new and odd to me, I've never had this problem before. So, I just want you to know that I don't think that this is just something casual, or anything like that. A good no-phenomenal, snog here or there. It's so far beyond that in ways that I can't even begin to express to you."

Rose's eyes have widened in a mixture of awe and happiness, she opens her mouth to speak, but the Doctor interrupts her.

"Wait-I'm almost done. I can't give you the things that you need. I can't give you a normal life, I can't give you any of those very human-y things that you want. Mortgages, drapes, carpets, white fences, a family etc," Rose opens her mouth in protest before he silences her once again. "And I know you say you don't want that, but that's right now. You might at some point change your mind and I understand that. But until that day comes I will do everything I can to make you happy and keep you safe. I almost lost you again today, and I know that is basically a daily occurrence at this point, but when-if that day ever comes I don't want to regret keeping you at a distance because I was too afraid of how much it would _**hurt**_ when you're gone. Because quite frankly it is already going to hurt in ways that I'm trying not to think about. So, anyway. The point is, I just wanted to make sure you are um- okay with that. With this," the Doctor finally finishes tripping over his words and a wide smile is spanning across

Rose's face and her eyes sparkle to almost the shade of honey. She grabs his face and kisses him briefly but deeply, her lips brimming with unbridled passion before she pulls her mouth away looking directly into his eyes.

"Of course I'm okay with this, Doctor. This is all I've wanted for _**so**_ long. Sure I love the travelin' an' of course the TARDIS, an' the adventure an' all of that. But when it comes down to it, all I want is to just be with you. I don't care about _'normal human-y'_ things, I just want a life with you and I'm not gonna change my mind. S'that simple really. You've gotta realize by now that I'm yours an' only yours. Always have been, always will be. I'm not goin' anywhere." His hearts soar at her declaration, trying desperately to push her last sentence in a little box that he won't bother opening for a while. "An' as adorably gorgeous as you are when you're fumblin' your words, sayin' everything I want to hear, I think I'd much rather be snoggin' you an we can continue talkin' about this later."

"Quite right," he smirks before he pulls her to him as his mouth presses urgently against hers.

He begins to kiss her cheek and down towards her neck wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Her fingers are tangling in his hair, tugging at the strands while she moans from the feeling of his mouth tracing her pulse at the juncture of her shoulder. He nibbles there tasting her pale flesh and rolling his expert tongue against it. His hand slides up to the strap of her bra slipping it off of her shoulder and letting it fall there as he continues to kiss and nibble around her neck and her shoulder.

She tilts her head back, the edges of her blonde hair tickling her back as she brings one of her legs up sliding it against the Doctor's leg and hitching it around his waist pressing their hips together. He groans into her shoulder and in one swift movement he has his arms wrapped around her, curling her legs around his waist as he levels his eyes with hers. She grinds her hips into his feeling his hardening length with a gasp. His eyes are hooded and have turned almost black as he grips her tightly holding her in place. He licks his lip before he presses his mouth against hers again. His tongue traces against hers reveling in her taste before she manages to start sucking on his tongue. He makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat as his fingers dive into her hair. Her hands are gripping his bare back touching the taught lean muscles and scratching her nails lightly across. He begins to walk out of the console room, holding her steady against him their mouths still throughly engaged, down the hallway towards her bedroom door which the TARDIS thankfully placed closer.

He opens the bedroom door with Rose still wrapped up in his arms and around his waist as he fumbles into the room. The TARDIS puts a dim light on as the Doctor places her on the bed breaking their kiss for a moment toeing off his white Converse. Rose is laying flat on her back breathing heavily and looking up at The Doctor who is kneeling over her between her legs. Their eyes lock as he traces his fingers down her sides and over her abdomen to the waist of her jeans. Rose bites her lip trying to suppress the groan in her breath as he slowly, almost painfully slowly, unbuttons and unzips her jeans. He pulls the jeans down while she tries to shimmy out of them at the same time until they are bunched up at her ankles revealing her incredibly small, lacy, pink knickers.

The Doctor inhales sharply and Rose almost laughs at the look on his face which looks very much like an excited kid on Christmas opening the present that he was desperately hoping for. He takes off her sneakers, and slides each sock off dragging his finger at the instep of her foot and up to her ankles. He lifts up her legs and slips the jeans off of each leg letting his fingers touch her smooth calves and dipping up to the backs of her knees. His eyes sweep appreciatively across her body before she sits up and is kissing him again. His hands make their way to her back and begin to fumble with the hooks of her bra. Rose waits and begins to smile into the kiss as he makes a frustrated noise. She begins to giggle breaking the kiss as he struggles with the bra.

"Honestly I don't know how women put up with these evil contraptions," he mutters exasperated contemplating going to get his sonic before he finally unhooks it. "And I'm sorry to say that they don't get much better in the future either. Doesn't make much sense to me someone should have come up with a better idea by then."

"Less of the talkin', yeah?" Rose teases sticking her tongue out before her bra is off and thrown to the floor in a swift movement. He stares admiringly at her chest for a brief moment before his lips are around her hardened nipple. She groans while his hand cups her other breast tweaking and pinching her nipple between his fingers. He licks and pulls with his teeth on the hardened pink bud and switches to her other breast as Rose is helpless to his glorious assault.

He leaves open mouthed kisses from her breasts down her stomach licking and nipping at her hip bones. He drags his long index finger at the seam of her knickers gliding across the fabric brushing it against her slit. His mouth kisses below the small line of pink lace fabric and continues kissing and licking at her thighs, purposely avoiding the spot she wants him to touch the most. She squirms beneath him making unintelligible noises before his fingers hook at the hem of her knickers letting his fingers slide across the skin underneath of it. Finally he pulls the tiny lace fabric down and off of her legs in an instant.

Rose is practically panting as the Doctor leans back staring at her completely naked form. He lets out the breath he didn't realize he was holding as his hearts stop and stutter out of tune. "Rose Tyler, you are so, so beautiful," he states with clarity, letting his eyes thoroughly sweep across her before his eyes meet hers.

"Yeah, _for a human_," she smiles shyly quoting him when he still wore weather and they met Charles Dickens. He cups her face and gives her a very serious and steady look.

"No, for _anyone,_" he replies sincerely. "You really are gorgeous."

He skims his index finger from her knee to her inner thigh hovering at the juncture of her legs. He slowly slips his fingers at the slick wetness of her slit causing her to cry out. He teases her there dragging his finger back and forth through the trimmed curls so slowly that she feels as though she might actually cry until he pushes his finger inside of her.

He is taking a mental note of all of the delightful groans and whimpers and strangled cries that she is making as he slides his finger in and out of her gradually adding another finger. She makes a noise that seems to nearly grip at his erection pressing against his pants and against her leg as he curls the fingers inside of her. Her hands are half tugging in his hair half clawing at his back, pulling him closer to her as he continues to curl and slide the fingers into her quickening the pace. Her hips buck against his fingers finding a steady intense rhythm. She clenches around his fingers, crying out in blissful awe into his neck as she shatters over the edge harder and faster than she ever has before. Her body is trembling from the after waves of pleasure, sweat matting at her forehead as he pulls his fingers out and brings them to his mouth.

Rose nearly dies on the spot at seeing the Doctor sucking on the fingers that seconds ago were inside of her bringing her to climax. She almost thinks that this might not actually be happening and that she is full blown hallucinating one of her fantasies.

"Mmm," he moans in approval after thoroughly sucking his fingers clean, "you taste so good."

She grabs him by the hair pressing their lips together and it's all wet and tongue and groaning as she wraps her arms around his neck pressing their bodies into each other. She breaks the kiss and starts to fumble with his pants before he takes over for her unbuttoning and unzipping and pulling them off, now clad in only his boxer briefs. She shoves him onto the bed, straddling his waist as she grinds her pelvis into his. He groans loudly as she leans down and begins kissing his Adam's apple and dragging her lips and teeth across his collar bone and nibbling gently. She continues to kiss and lick across his trim abdomen running her fingers through the light tuff of hair at his chest. Her mouth reaches his hips at she sucks on his hip bones making him squirm and moan against her.

She wants to tease him as much as he did to her but her desire to actually feel him overrules her. She grips him through the fabric of his boxer briefs causing him to suck in a sharp breath before she slips her fingers underneath of the waistband and lets her fingers run up and down his really quite impressive length. She lets her thumb slip over the head of his cock swirling around at the bead of moisture there and he lets out a noise that makes her muscles clinch around her core. She releases him and hooks her fingers at the waist of his boxer briefs and drags them off of him and down his long athletic legs, peeling off his socks as well.

She has been so caught up in the physical actions of everything, of hands and lips and tongues and skin that she hadn't fully processed what is actually happening until now. She straddles his thighs and pauses for a moment absorbing and reveling in the fact that this is not a dream and the Doctor is naked underneath of her. This wonderful, brilliant, gorgeous man that she has been pinning after for _so_ long. His hair as unruly as ever, eyes black and brimming with concupiscence and locking with hers. "See something you like?" he asks in a cheeky but painfully sexy voice as he smirks up at her.

"Oh I've been looking, and I _definitely_ like what I see," she says, and bites her lip as she grins remembering when Cassandra was inside of the Doctor's mind teasing her.

She wraps her her hand around his cock still marveling at it's size before in one swift movement he shoves her onto the bed and traps her body beneath his. His eyes are intense and searing into hers as he wraps his hand around her thigh bringing a leg around his waist. She brings the other leg around him as well pressing her mound against his cool hardened length. He steadies her hips with his hands before he reaches grabbing his cock and brushes it at against her entrance, barely touching it and making her toes curl. He glides the tip back and forth between her slick slit and presses it against her clit as she cries out gripping the blanket beneath her.

"Mmm guh... Please, Doctor," she is whimpering incoherently.

Their eyes level with one another and he gives her a steady look that he doesn't break as he slides himself into her. He groans and she gasps at the final contact that they have been longing for through this whole song and dance. He fills her completely in a way that she didn't think was even possible and she can't help but think of the cliché of puzzle pieces locking perfectly into place. This body was made for _her_. He is cool inside of her making her hair stand on edge and bringing a chill down her spine.

The Doctor almost can't believe that this is happening his mind swirling in a haze of about a million different things and coming to a complete halt at the feeling of her tight, wet, heat. He absorbs this moment, this first between them the very primal and physical act finally joining them together. He finally moves pulling out almost completely and slowly easing himself back in again. He takes it slow with her. Gentle, beautiful. His forehead is pressed against hers and her arms wrap around him as their hips meet and find a pace. She almost wishes that this was the first time, with anyone because it is that perfect. It's far beyond anything she has ever experience or imagined, far better, far more intense and special. He still hasn't taken his eyes off of hers and she wonders if he is reading her mind right now because his eyes look as though they can reach into her soul and touch it, hold it.

She wants to tell him that she loves him. She almost does, but her climax shoves the words deep down crumbling everything around her as she clenches around him coating him crying out for him as she digs her nails into his back. He watches her, the way her forehead crinkles, and her lips tremble. All of time and space, over 900 years of life and traveling and he thinks that he has never witnessed anything so perfect.

His mind and body are suddenly overwhelmed with the very physical instinct of needing more contact. The sweet gentle love making subsides as his thrusts become harder, desperate. His hand finds the headboard of her bed gripping to it as he thrusts and pounds into her hitting a spot inside of her that she didn't fully know existed. Her cries nearly turning to screams of pleasure, his other hand gripping her hip, grabbing at her bum as her hips slam down to meet his thrusts. She locks her feet wrapped around his waist holding onto him as his hand holding her hip slips down between them pressing against her core. He presses and rubs quickly at her clit, his hips bucking wildly into hers as she cums again harder than before her eyes almost rolling into the back of her head as she screams out for him. He follows after her calling out her name as he slams into her several more times before he empties himself inside of her. He pulls out and collapses on top of her his hearts pounding against her chest her sweat slicked body pressed against his cool skin.

She pants trying to find her breath for a while and he looks up at her. They both are grinning, dazzling, wide, post coital grins.

"Remind me again why we didn't do that sooner?" he says and then they both start to laugh hard, carefree and so unbelievably happy.

...:::...

Rose sleeps soundly curled against the Doctor's side her head nuzzled against his bare chest and their fingers interlocked. He runs his long pale fingers through her blonde locks with a dizzy smile on his face as he watches her sleep. He has never felt so calm and at ease before, specifically in this body that is always talking a mile a minute and jumping all over the place. For the first time in a very very long time, perhaps ever, he feels completely content living and breathing in this exact moment. He isn't concerned about where to go next, or what to run from. In fact, he thinks it might be the best idea of his 900 years to let the TARDIS float in the vortex for at least a week while he sits and consumes his time wrapped up in his beautiful companion. Eventually they will have to resume traveling the stars and saving worlds left and right, but for now this is all he needs, all he wants.

He silently thanks himself from the future for telling him to do this, if he hadn't he would have held her at a comfortable distance as long as possible. For all he knew what just transpired may have never occurred. Although knowing his persistent Rose, he's not so sure, maybe it still would have. He smirks as he looks down at her wondering how long he should let her sleep before he wakes her up wanting another go. Only Rose could make the Doctor feel like any human man with only one thing on his mind. Luckily he still has several things going on in his mind at once, Time Lord and all, but if he is being honest with himself 88.73 percent of it is focused on Rose and all of the things he could be doing with her, _to her_, if she would just wake up.

He drags his index finger from the base of her head down her neck and circles her collar bone lazily. She moans softly in her sleep and nuzzles deeper against his chest, tightening her grip on him. He kisses the top of her head inhaling her scent of strawberries and honey that intoxicates him. He wonders suspiciously if the TARDIS provides Rose's shower with a shampoo and soap specifically with his favorite combination of scents or if she has always smelled this good. He kisses her cheek and he feels the muscles of her face twitch into a smile.

"Just another hour an' I promise I'm all yours again. It's been over two years since the last time I did that. And last time it certainly wasn't as mind blowin' as what just happened. So, I gotta conserve my energy. Inferior human biology, 'member?" she slurs sleepily sitting up and stretching for a moment, her hair hanging in front of her eyes.

He grins brushing the hair away from her face. "Rose Tyler, I absolutely would _never_ consider your biology inferior. Especially not your anatomy which must be said, is rather quite stunning actually."

She returns his grin and giggles as she adjusts herself back into his arms pulling the blanket around her again.

"Mmm right back at ya Doctor," she murmurs kissing his chest, before shutting her eyes and falling back into a sound sleep. He shuts his eyes too electing to rest for the hour until Rose is awake again.

...

_He's walking through a house he's never been in before. A really beautiful house in fact, with no sign of carpets or drapes anywhere. Instead there are large expansive windows overlooking the view outside of luscious grass and trees kissing the horizon glowing orange from the sun setting. The décor is modern and sleek in a way that doesn't make it look like a stiff museum, but rather just tastefully decorated. There is a gigantic couch the same color of the TARDIS with comfortable looking plush pillows off setting the clean lines throughout the room. The floors are a dark wood off setting the light walls. On the walls that don't have windows there are photos everywhere, postcards, tickets to movies, airplane tickets, a rather large drawn out or possibly painted map of the stars with random pins stuck into it, finger paintings, drawings, scattered across the wall in beautifully organized chaos. He begins to study one of the larger photos that catches his eye immediately. A photo of himself and Rose. She is grinning her classic mega-watt grin, he is kissing a smile into the side of her head pushing her hair against her cheek, arms wrapped tightly around her. His eyes are closed and he looks so genuinely happy in a way that gives himself a nagging and urgent sense of hope that he has never had. Before he can process the other photos properly he is distracted by loud laughter.. _

_He walks towards the back of the room where there are large sliding doors leading outside. He realizes the laughter is coming from outside so he slides the door open and steps out. There are expanses of different colored flowers and trees and bushes of all sizes scattered across the gigantic yard. There is a cream colored canopy styled tent covering an outdoor table and chairs with candles scattered around. Past the canopy is a swing set, and a treehouse built into an oversized ancient looking tree._

_Swinging on one of the swings is a beautiful little girl, no older than four, with blonde hair stuck into pigtails and large familiar brown eyes. Running past the swing set are two boys about 5 and 7, with gravity defying brown hair, and long lean limbs. _

"_Oi! Jack! What did I say about playing with your father's sonic!" He hears a familiar voice calling. He turns to see Rose taking quick angry strides towards the boys running away from her laughing. His breath hitches when he sees her. She isn't wearing as much make up as she usually does, allowing her natural beauty to shine through, her hair is a darker more natural shade of blonde styled soft and shoulder length. She looks older, in a good way, having aged well her features are a bit more chiseled instead of soft and round as he is used to seeing. She is dressed simply in a tight v-neck and jeans, and yet she couldn't look anymore beautiful._

_Then he sees something entirely more confounding and unbelievable. He sees himself, but aged (also in a good way he notes), following behind her. He looks very amused watching the two boys, but trying (and failing) to hide his amusement from an incredibly not amused Rose. His brown unruly hair has flecks of gray scattered artfully throughout, the crinkle at his eyes is a bit more crinkly and the lines at the anchor of his lips from smiling is deeper. The Doctor is beyond confused by what he sees. It's not possible. _

"_And **you**." She turns and points at the gray haired version of himself, giving him a sharp look that would make even Jackie Tyler run and hide."Stop smilin' s'not funny! If Jack blows up Alonso or Donna then it is entirely **your **fault!"_

"_But Roooose, that one is different than the other sonic! They have no idea how to control or change the settings it's harmless! I promise! Don't be mad!" he pleads scratching the back of his neck nervously. He gives her his dazzling knee buckling smile and she heaves in a deep breath, her eyes softening a little as she tries to stay mad at him but finds it difficult. Her softening eyes and her bottom lip twitching into a near smile is interrupted when the familiar whizzing sound of the sonic followed by laughter echoes through the yard._

"_That's it! If you don't give it back here **RIGHT. NOW.** I'm takin' away TARDIS privileges INDEFINITELY." Rose yells chasing the boys further down the yard and almost out of sight. _

_The gray haired version of himself turns around and seems to notice himself, a bittersweet smile etched into his face the lines around his mouth deepening. He swallows and tries to blink away some unrecognizable combination of gratitude, incandescent happiness, and sadness. _

"_Thank you," he says so simply and sincerely, quiet tears brimming up in his eyes. _

"_For what?" the Doctor finds himself saying, completely and utterly confused by the situation._

"_You'll see."_

The Doctor's eyes shoot open his mind still in a haze of confusion, finding himself staring up at Rose who is now awake and running her fingers through his hair. "Looks like I'm not the only one worn out. I never see you sleepin'" she says grinning sheepishly, until she notices the bewildered expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asks urgently before she stops running her fingers through his hair.

"I had a dream. But I rarely dream, I don't need enough sleep to dream. But when I do it's nothing like human dreams. It's quick and factual, based on an event that happened or will happen or could very likely happen. Rarely does it have anything to do with me at all... and it is never fictional..." he drawls on thoughtfully.

"S'what happened in the dream?" Rose inquires as she traces his Adam's apple and his collar bone with her finger.

"Oh, nothing. It's impossible really," he answers with an undercurrent of sadness. She starts to try to ask him further about it but he silences her with his lips and tangles their bodies together once again.

_..._

Please review and let me know what you think! Hopefully I didn't scare everyone away with my very M chapter, heh. Anywhooo sorry to say that the upcoming chapters or so are going to plunge into the much more angsty side (after all, this is Doctor Who fanfiction I'm writing) with Doomsday coming up eventually, which also means I'm going to have to re-watch Doomsday (cue gross sobbing, and eating ice cream). So that being said, you've been warned! Please review I'd appreciate it so much!


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